emmens



(No Model.) S. H. EMMENS.

PROJEGTILE.

180.414,888. Patented Nov. 5, 1888.

@QLD/moya@ STEPHEN HENRY Emmet/vsI Home l;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- STEPHEN n. EMMENs or LONDON, ENGLAND.

PROJ ECTI LE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,388, dated November5, 1889.

Application led October 22, 1888i Serial No. 288,768. (No model.)

To tu whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN HENRY EM- MENsaSubject of the Queen of GreatBritain and Ireland, and a resident of London, England, temporarilyresiding at Harrison, in the State of New York, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Projectiles, of which the following` is aspecification.

This invention relates to externally-applied thimble-shaped projectilesfor guns.

It consists in certain novel features of construction and combinationsof parts hereinafter'set forth and claimed, whereby such projectiles areprimarily adapted to serve as grapnels, with or without provision foropening the arms by the grapnel-line after the projectile drops, andwith or without provision in the shape of sharpened rear edges forcutting torpedo-lines and the like; also, to be readily converted intoparachutes for carrying pyrotechnic lights and the like, and, finally,to be readily converted at will into my load-carrying projectile, whichconstitutes in part the subject-matter of a companion case, Serial No.288,766, filed October 22, 1888.A

A sheet of drawings accompanies this speciiication as part thereof.

Figure 1 of these drawings is a side vieW, half in elevation and halfVin section, of the projectile proper with grapnel arms. attached. Fig.2 is a rear end view of the same. Fig. 2X represents alternativecross-sections of the grapnel-arms. Fig. 2X is a perspective View of thetwo parts of the removable pivot of one of the grapnel-arms. Fig. 3 isasmallscale side View of a suitable gun for throwing the projectile,showing in dotted lines the projectile as above thereon. Fig. 4 is alike view of the same projectile, representing it as landed or dropped,and illustrating by full and dotted lines the operation of opening thearms. Fig. 5 is a like view of the same proj ectile, represented astired with its arms open. Figs. 6 and 7 are like views of the sameprojectile converted into a parachute pyrotechnic device, representingthe same respectively as ascending and descending.

Likef letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

The projectile proper comprises a metallic guide-tube A, closed in frontbya head B, and open at the rear to admit the barrel or powdertube A',Fig. 3, of the gun from which it is fired. It is provided at or near itsrear end with three (or morel outwardly-projecting vanes or wings C forregulating its flight, and with a swiveled eye or loop D at bottom,which may conveniently be attached by means of a collar D2, fitted tothe rear end of the tube A, as shown.

At its head end the projectile is provided with an eye or loop E infront, and with two or more side eyes or loops F. The loops F arepreferably double and four in number, as shown, so as to serve for theattachment of four folding grapnel-arins G or G2, removably pivoted tothe same, as hereinafter set forth. In front of their pivots g the armsG are preferably extended forward at a suitable angle, and terminate ineyes f, from which four strong cords k, Fig. 4, may extend in pairsthrough said front loop E from opposite sides thereof to thegrapnel-line, (represented at L,) which in this case extends rearwardthrough said loop D at the rear end of the projectile, and is free torun through the latter, so that a strong pull thereon may open the arms,as represented in Fig. 4; or, if preferred, the arms G may bepreliminarily fastened open by means of a cord or wire m, Fig. 5,passing through the eyes t', and in this case the grapnel-line would beattached to said loop D,`as represented at L2, Fig. 5. lf the grapnel isto be used for cutting torpedo-lines in rivers and harbors, or for alike purpose, the arms would be made of hardened steel with sharpenedrear edges, as represented at G2, Fig. 2x. For other purposes armshaving 'blunt rear edges, as represented at G, Fig. 2x, would bepreferable. In all cases the front ends of the arms G or G2 are more orless sharp, and in the parachute species of the convertible projectile,which is represented by Figs. 6- and 7, and is selected for my specificclaims, these sharp ends of the arms G or G2 occupy eyelets 7L at thecorners of a parachute-cover H, of asuitable iie'xiblefabric. The centerof the cover H is provided with an opening, through which the front endof the projectile proper is passed, and the edges of which are providedwith eyelets h2, from which straining-cords j extend to the front loop Eof the projectile. A cup- I, containing a suitable pyrotechniclightcompound and fuse, is conveniently sus- IOO pended in inverted positionfrom the loop D at the rear end of the projectile, and the Whole is nowready to be fired from the gun. Its ight is represented by Fig. 6, andits slow descent, with the cup I lighted, is represented by Fig. 7. Ahighly-efficient device for nocturnal illuininations is thus readilyformed.

To provide for readily and quickly converting the projectile into otherforms, as hereinbefore stated, the pivots g, Figs. 1 and 2z, of the armsG (or G2) are made removable, as represented by the figure last named,and are fastened in place by screws g2, tapped into the respective armsradial to their pivot-holes. The ends of the pivots occupy the bores ofthe double lugs F, and by turning back the screws the pivots maybeeasily removed and the arms detached.

The gun represented by Fig. 3 comprises a short powder-tube A',abreech-block B,a firing-device tube C', a stock-tube D', and a stockE', and is represented as provided with horizontal trunnions F andpivoted in avertical swivel G, to facilitate holding and aiming it withone of my said projectiles thereon. This gun constitutes in part thesubjectmatter of another companion case, Serial No. 288,767, filedOctober 22, 1888, and forms no part of my present invention.

Another suitable gun for throwing my said projectiles is set forth in aprevious specification, forming part of my allowed application forUnited States patent, filed June 14, 1888, Serial No. 277,098.

I do not claim herein a thimble-shaped proj ectile provided externallywith wings-` for regulating its light and with loops to whichinterchangeable attachments may be coupled.

This is claimed in the coinpanioncase, Serial without a cover appliedthereto, nor guidingwings, as I am aware that such combinations,

broadly considered, have before been effected in grapnels, drag-anchors,and projectiles of other descriptions.

In combination with a suitable gun, as hereinbefore set forth, myimproved projectile is adapted to carry and is provided at once withrigidly-projecting wings of effective area, and with grapnel-arms, whichmay be fastened open and iired, thus effectively Y spread, or providedwith a light parachutecover of any suitable flexible fabric, as they donot enter the gun.

Having thus described my said improvement in projectiles, I claim as myinvention vand desire to patent under this specification- 1. Athimble-shaped projectile comprising a guide-tube open at the rear andhaving a head which closes its frontend, and provided Withrigidly-projecting guide-wings and with grapnel-arms in front of saidwings, substan tially as hereinbefore specified.-

2. A thiInble-shaped projectile comprising a guide-tube open at the rearand provided with a head which closes its front end, and withrigidly-projecting guide-wings and folding grapnel-arms, the latterlocated in front of said wings and having removable transverse pivots,substantially as hereinbefore specified. v

3. A thimble-shaped projectile comprising a guide-tube open at the rearand provided with a head which closes its front end, rigidly-projectingguide-wings, folding grapnelarms located in front of said wings, and aneyeleted parachute-cover of a flexible fabric applied to said arms,substantially as hereinbefore specified.

4. A thirnble-shaped projectile-body provided externally with doublelugs at or near its head end, in combination with removable pivotsfitted to said lugs, and grapnel-arrns .'iitted to the same and providedwith lock-ingscrews, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

STEPHEN H. EMMENS.

Witnesses:

I-I.V EDGELL, HUGH HENRY.

